What Could Have Been
by Mirage1234
Summary: Cinderpelt has always been Fireheart's best friend, but what if she more than that? What if Fireheart had taken a different path? What could have been? CinderXFire oneshot.


**Author's Note: There's always been a small place in the Warriors archive for CinderXFire, but I never really liked that pairing. I recently re-read Rising Storm however, and- though I've known about the whole CinderXFire thing- it only sorta hit me that it was a plausible pairing when I read the part when Cinderpelt tells Fireheart about how Sandstorm feels about him. **

**I decided to do a one-shot about what _could _have happened between them. It's slightly… I dunno, dark? But it's also got quite a bit of sugar in it, so it shouldn't be too bad for romance, even if it's quite short. **

**Anyways, please RR!**

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**What Could Have Been**

**One-Shot (CinderXFire)~**

**Firestar's POV:**

It was quiet in the ThunderClan camp. Not a sound was to be heard. No cat said a word. It was utterly silent. Most of the cats lay in their nests: sleeping. Everyone was tired out by the events of the day. Earlier, two cats of ShadowClan, Whitethroat and Littlecloud, had entered ThunderClan's territory and begged them for help; asked them for herbs to cure a sickness that was picking of the cats of ShadowClan.

But none of the cats were more tired out than Fireheart. He sat in the centre of the clearing, staring up at the stars. His eyes were closed; he was deep in thought. The ginger deputy was sending a desperate prayer to StarClan. He hoped they were watching him and guiding his footsteps more than ever before at that moment. Ever since he had proved Tigerclaw's- the notorious murderer of Redtail- guilt, Bluestar had been in an un-stable state. He had had to take on more responsibility than he wanted over the past moons. The clan expected him to live up to the position he had been granted, but he didn't even know whether he deserved to be deputy.

The ginger tom-cat sighed, shaking his head. _I hope you're guiding my paw steps, as much as I hope you're doing the same for the rest of ThunderClan. _

In that moment, another thought slipped into his mind. Sandstorm. She too had been troubling him for days now. Apparently it was obvious to every cat in the clan that she was very fond of him, and, now that he knew about it, it did seem obvious. Maybe it was in the way that she looked at him; maybe it was in the way that she smiled at him. But he knew it- she was in love with him.

And really, Fireheart had no idea whatsoever as to whether he returned her feelings. Or even whether he was meant to! He had heard cats gossiping about them, and about how they approved of their relationship. But… he felt like he was betraying something whenever he was close to Sandstorm. At first, he had put it to his crush on Spottedleaf, but it wasn't that. He was sure of it. He felt like he was betraying someone else.

Almost on queue, it started to rain. Droplets of water ran down his face, and off his whiskers. His fur began to feel heavy with water, but Fireheart didn't turn around and head back into the warrior's den, instead, he just sat there, breathing in the scent of the ThunderClam camp-

'Fireheart!' A loud calling echoed into the tom's ears. He opened his eyes, and turned his head to see Cinderpelt, the ThunderClan medicine cat, and his previous apprentice, standing outside her den. 'What are you doing out there?' When she received no answer, she continued. 'Get in here!'

The tom didn't need to be asked twice: he got to his paws and dashed over to the grey medicine cat. She turned around and limped into her den, swiftly followed by Fireheart. It was dark and slightly damp in the den, but that didn't stop Fireheart from feeling relieved.

Cinderpelt turned around, her blue eyes strained through the darkness. 'What in the name of StarClan were you doing? Standing outside in the rain like that? You could've caught Whitecough!'

Fireheart stared at her for a moment. 'Sorry Cinderpelt,' he began. 'I was just-'

'Being a complete idiot, that's what!' Cinderpelt intercepted. 'You need to take care of yourself Fireheart, especially with the clan resting on your shoulders like they are now.'

The two cats held each other's glare for a few moments, before, to Cinderpelt's obvious surprise, Fireheart burst into laughter. The grey medicine cat stared at him incredulously for another second, before she too began to grin. 'What?' She asked.

'It's just-' Fireheart looked down at her. 'Here is my previous apprentice, who's something like six moons younger me, telling me off like she's my mother!' He laughed loudly again. 'It's just funny!'

Cinderpelt rolled her eyes and nudged him warmly. 'I'm your medicine cat- technically, I have just as much authority in ThunderClan that you do!' She stopped, and spoke seriously. 'But you do need to be careful Fireheart.' She said. 'The clan is relying on you.'

What she said made him stop too. 'I know.' He said.

There were a few seconds of silence.

Cinderpelt coughed. 'So, um, what where you doing out there?'

Fireheart looked up and turned around, padding forward until he was staring at the wall of the medicine cat den. The whole place stank with herbs; yet he didn't find the scent unpleasant like he usually did. Cinderpelt's aroma too was in the air. He found it somewhat… relaxing. 'I was-' he began, 'thinking.'

Cinderpelt moved forward and sat down next to him. 'Thinking about what?' She pressed.

He thought about this for a moment, before blurting out everything that had been troubling him over the past few moons. 'Everything!' He exclaimed. 'Everything that's been happening to ThunderClan for years now. About Bluestar's state: about Tigerstar, about everything!' He tossed his head to one side, as if he expected someone to be watching him. 'Even… even Sandstorm!'

Had Fireheart not been so caught up in his own troubles, he would have noticed how quickly Cinderpelt's eyes contracted at the mention of Sandstorm's name. 'Sandstorm?' She said. 'What about her?'

He turned to the medicine cat. 'She-' he began. 'Well, everyone thinks that she has a crush on me. And I don't know how I should act or talk around her anymore! She always look at me with this, this intensity that makes me really uncomfortable. Am I supposed to ask her to by my mate? Am- am I supposed to try and stop any chance of a relationship between us?' He threw his head back in distress.

Though he hadn't noticed the last thing Cinderpelt had done, Fireheart did notice the sadness that past over her face when she spoke next. It made him frown for a second, but he shook his head and ignored it. 'Do you like her, Fireheart?' She questioned.

He blinked, confused. 'What do you-'

'I mean,' she interrupted, 'do you like her?'

Fireheart frowned again, and thought about Cinderpelt's question. _Do I? _He thought about all the times he had shared tongues with her, and enjoyed her company. _Of course I do! _He was just about to tell Cinderpelt this, when a voice whispered in his head. _I think what she means, is whether you like Sandstorm as more than a friend. _It was this voice in his head, that changed what he was about to say. 'No.' He replied.

'That that's your answer!' She told him, as if puzzled that he hadn't got to the bottom of it earlier. 'If you don't love her, then why should you ask her to be your mate? If the clan doesn't approve of it, that's their own problem. You do have freedom of thought you know.'

Fireheart stared at her, opening her mouth as if about to reply… before, thinking about what she was saying. _A _part of him wanted to protest to her, and tell her that she wasn't right, but he knew any effort he did to say this would have been untruthful to himself and to Sandstorm. It wasn't right. He liked Sandstorm. He really did!

But as a friend.

Suddenly, he felt himself begin to purr. 'Thank you Cinderpelt.' He said.

She blinked and her ears twitched. Fireheart met her gaze. An odd feeling burnt inside him… a kind of pull. Her eyes glowed with a light he had had never noticed before. Never _noticed _before. 'For what?' She asked.

'For helping me to see light.' Fireheart replied. That burning spark in Cinderpelt's eyes only seemed to grow stronger.

She shrugged. 'I wasn't me.' She flicked his head with her tail. 'Remember Fireheart, no matter how lost you may feel, you always have a choice. StarClan guides our paw steps, and shows us the truth, but it is _us _that decides what path we take.'

Fireheart's eyes contracted a little. _What does that_ mean? He opened her mouth to ask her, but Cinderpelt had already turned around and was padding away into the shadows of her den. 'Now leave me in peace.' She teased. 'I can't choose the path you take either.'

Fireheart nodded, satisfied. He turned around as well, about to dash away into the rain once more, but suddenly, some part of him made him stop. _I can choose the path take. _

If that's right, can I choose the path I should've have chosen ages ago?

He turned around. 'Cinderpelt, wait!'

The grey she-cat paused, and then turned to face him once more. Fireheart inspected her pelt. Until now, he had never noticed how pale it was. How beautiful. He had never noticed how her eyes were like water, calming him, soothing him.

Before she could say a word in protest, he placed a paw on hers and pressed his muzzle against his, relishing the moment. He could feel her shift in surprise… before subjecting to his touch. Her whiskers brushed against his cheek, and his tail entwined with her's.

'I love you.' Fireheart said.

He felt Cinderpelt nod a little. 'As do I.'

Fireheart smiled a little, and purred like a tiger, louder than ever before. His heart was racing at a hundred miles an hour. He couldn't think of a moment in his life that had ever been so perfect.

_What is it with me and medicine cats?_

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**Couldn't resist the last line. XD**


End file.
